That was the surprising take-home message on tonight’s installment of The Voice — a two-hour meh-fest during which an unprecedented ratio (9 out of 20) singers failed to get a single button push from the merry band of Season 6 coaches. Unfortunately, said message applied …READ MORE & TAKE POLL

I’m not gonna lie to you: I went from mildly concerned to truly and deeply vexed during the first half-hour of tonight’s American Idol Top 13 performance episode. We had Mumbles McGillicuddy, Wacky Sharpenstein, Blankity Blankerson and Speedy McCountry all hitting the stage and delivering varying degrees of the night’s opening song title: “Aw Naw.” READ MORE & TAKE OUR POLL

Here’s the thing about The Voice: Even in an episode where the musical talent doesn’t send you directly to iTunes in a flurry of “must download this immédiatement” enthusiasm, there’s still an undeniable magic beneath the surface.

I’m not sure what the sidewalks in your town are looking like right now, but where I live in Jersey City, they’re covered in a terrine of mud-blackened ice; found objects (I kid you not, I spotted a half-finished bottle of Arizona Iced Tea lodged in a snowbank today); wayyyy too many dog droppings (sigh); and sadness.

There’s been a decided lack of bullishness among the American Idol faithful over the last 48 hours regarding the Season 13 Top 30 — or at least the singers’ less-than-scintillating efforts during the show’s inaugural “Rush Week” festivities.

Call me a relentless optimist (who still thinks “I’m on a Roll” should/could be a Top 10 hit), but I’m not ready to …READ MORE

“Intonation” is the new “pitchy.” Jennifer Lopez is suddenly astute and critical. And if you listen carefully, Season 8’s glorious, criminally underrated Allison Iraheta* is providing chill-inducing background support as part of Rickey Minor’s band. (*If you’ve never heard her providing lead vocals on Halo Circus’ “Gone,” go directly to iTunes, download it, then come back and finish this recap.)

I’ve always been a sucker for an inspirational, never-give-up, success-in-spite-of-insurmountable-odds story arc: The Little Engine That Could. Seabiscuit. Fantasia’s “I Believe.”

But for the love of all that’s holy, how is the caked-on gravy that is Randy Jackson still clinging to the American Idolplatter on its 13th cycle through the reality TV dishwasher? READ MORE & TAKE OUR POLLS

It seems like only yesterday that Candice Glover was singing her victory rendition of “I Am Beautiful” while trying not to get confetti in her mouth, nose and eyes. (Feel free to throw a Gospel hand if that memory inevitably moves you to the brink of tears. And don’t you dare leave me hangin’ misty-eyed all by my lonesome, fellow Idoloonies!) READ MORE & TAKE OUR POLLS